Transfer-file



C. B. ULRICH.

TRANSFER FILE- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1916.

1,386,143, Patented Aug. 2, 1921..

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TRANSFER FILE- APPLICATION FILED NOV- 20, 1916. 1,386,143, PatentedAug. 2, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

:2 MUTE/awe UNITED STATES CHARLES B. ULRICH, OF JAMES'IOWN, NEW YORK.

TRANSFERFFILE' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Application filed November 20, 1916. Serial No. 132,258.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. ULRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Transfer-Files, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved construction of transfer filing cabinets by which the separate units of the system may be simply and positively connected together and by which the units of the system are of simple, strong and durable construction.

My invention relates particularly to 1mproved fastening devices for securing the units together and improved devices for reducing the friction of the transfer drawer in its casing, the parts belng preferably made from sheet metal so that the entire' structure is strong, durable and fire-proof.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments, in which- Figure 1 shows in end elevation two units placed one upon the other,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the casing of one of the filin units on a somewhat reduced scale from t at of the parts shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line 33 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Fig. 4. is a plan view of a portion of one of the filing units showing the devices cooperating with the corresponding devices shown in Fig. 3 for holding the units together,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken along the line 5--5, of the parts shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with two of the units secured together,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line 66 and drawn to a somewhat enlarged scale,

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the front end of a unit casing showing its manner of construction,

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one of the transfer drawers, this view being taken along the line 88 in Fig. 9, r

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 8 taken along the line 9-9.

Fi 10 shows in an enlarged view similar to Fig. 9. one of the anti-friction rollers mounted in the rear end of the transfer drawer,

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the parts shown 1n Fig. 10, taken along the line 11-11. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the parts shown 1n Fig. 11,

Figs. 13, 1 1 and 15 are detail views of a modified construction for securing the units of the file together, Fig. 13 being a top view of the rear portion of one of the inturned edges of the casing of the unit, Fig. 14 being a top view of the corresponding'portion of the top of the unit, and Fig. 15 being a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 14, takenalong the line 1515.

Fig. 1 6 shows in a view similar to Fig. 10, a modlfied construction of anti-friction roller, and

Fig. 17 shows a portion of the bottom of a drawer, made to receive the anti-friction roller shown in Fig. 16.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive, the

casing for each of the transfer units consists of strips of metal, preferably iron or steel, 15. and 16, formed into rectangles somewhat larger than the width and depth of the transfer drawers. These strips are provided with rabbets 15 and 16* opening outwardly and formed along the inner edges of the strips to receive the sheet metal casing 17, which, as shown in Fig. 3, extends but partway across the bottom and which is folded to completely inclose the sides and top of the casing, the edges of the formed sheet resting in the rabbets 15 and 16 which are of such dimensions as to be filled by said sheet. Angle bars18 and 19 are placed in the lowe cc.- ners of the rectangular strips 15 and 1 and extend from end to end of the casing to form gnideways and supports for the transfer drawer. A strip of metal 20 folded into channel cross-section, is secured to the under surface of the upper portion of the front rectangular strip 15 to serve as a stop for the transfer drawer to prevent the drawer being pulled too far out from the casing and also to limit the motion of the drawer when it is pushed into the casing, so that the front of the drawer will be substantially flush with the front of its casing. As indicated in Figs. 2 and 7 for the strip 15, both of the rectangular strips preferably extend from near the middle of the bottom of the casing around on both sides thereof and the ends of each strip are butted together and secured in this position by a connecting strip 21 of metal which is secured in the rabbet 15 between the edges of the cover sheet 17 All of the metal parts referred to may be secured together to form a rigid casing in any desired manner as by rivets, soldering or brazing, but I prefer that they be connected together by electric spot welding.

As indicated in Fig. 3 for one edge portion of the cover sheet 17 each inturned edge of the cover sheet is provided near the rear rectangular strip 16 with a slot 22, the rear edge of which is pressed slightly upward from the body portion of the sheet and a hole or aperture 23 punched through the inwardly extending portion near the front rectangular strip 15. The top portion of the casing sheet 17 is provided near each of its longitudinal edges with a clrcular projection 24 formed outwardly from the sheet metal and a tongue 25 pressed upwardly a slight amount from the body portion of the sheet. The apertures 23, the projections 24, the slots 22 and the tongues 25 are so related that when it is desired to secure two of. the casings together, the upper one is placed upon the lower one sufficiently in front of the lower one so that each of the tongues 25 is to the rear of the corresponding slot 22 and the upper casing is then moved rearwardly which results in the slot 22 and the tongue 25 interlockin and engaging each other, as shown in 1g. 5, and when the upper casing is moved to the rear a sufficient amount to bring the fronts of the casings into alinement with each other the projections 24 engage the apertures 23, as also shown in Fig. 5, to prevent displacement of one casing laterally relatively to the other. The slots 22, the tongues 25, the projections 24 and the corresponding apertures 23 thus serve to hold the easings in alinement with each other, so that there is no danger of one casing being displaced from others in the same stack.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, each of the transfer drawers is preferably constructed of a first sheet of metal 26 formed into side and bottom portions 26 and 26". The bottom portion 26 is preferably formed, as indicated in Fig. 9, with three downwardly ex tending channels, two of them 26 being formed along the longitudinal edges of the bottom to support the drawer and the third 26 being formed longitudinally in the middle portion of the bottom to receive the projecting tabs of the guide cards and the retaining rods which may be employed and which are shown at 27 in Fig. 1. The front and rear walls 28 and 29 of the drawer are similar to each other and formed from sheet metal, the metal sheet being folded upon itself as indicated at 28 and 29 to reinforce the ends of the drawer and the edge portions being extended and folded substantially at right angles to the front and rear ends, as indicated at 28 and 29*, and secured to thesides of the drawer, as a result of which a stiff and strong construction is produced.

Anti-friction rollers are mounted in the rear end of the drawer in the channels 26 in j a manner more clearly shown in Figs. 10, 11

and 12. Each roller is provided with a U- shaped housing 30 formed from a strip of metal, the width of the housing being substantially equal to the width of the channel 26, and on opposite sides the metal of the housing is pressed inwardly, as indicated at- 30, and punched to receive the rod 31 formin the bearing for the roller 32. The inward y extending projections serve to keep the roller 32 centered in the housing 30 and thus reduce to a minimum the side friction of the roller upon its housing. 7 The housing 30 is held in place in the channel 26 by two lugs 33 formed inwardly from the side wall '26 of the drawer just above the top of the housing and a third lug 34 also formed to extend inwardly from the side wall 26 just in front of the housing 30. As a result the lugs 33 prevent vertical displacement of the housing 30 from the channel 26 and communicate the weight of the drawer to the outer end of the rod 31, forming the bearing rod for the wheel 32, and the lug 34 prevents forward displacement of the houslng in the channel 26. The housing 30 is prevented from moving rearwardly in the channel 26 bythe rear wall 29 of the drawer against which the housing rests. The inner end of the bearing rod 31 is secured to the inner edge of the channel 26 by means of an ear 35 stamped upwardly from the bottom 26 of the drawer, which ear is punched to receive said rod. The rod 31 is of such length as to extend from just inside the side wall 26 of the drawer nearly into engagement with the edge of the aperture 35 formed by punching the ear 35 from the bottom 26 of the drawer, as a result of which the bearing rod 115 is securely held in lace in the housing 30 of the wheel 32. he parts are so proportioned that the rod 31 is in the plane of the bottom of the drawer between the channels 26 and 26, so that the construction de- 12 scribed may result.

In assembling the rollers 32 in place in the drawer the sheet metal of the drawer has suflicient yield .to permit the housing 30 to be forced into place in the channels 26 past 125 the lugs 33 and 34 which spring into place when the housings have been forced into the positions indicated in the drawings. The bottoms of the channels 26 are provided with clearance openings through which the 130 rollers 32 pass and these rollers are of such diameter that they raise the rear end of the channels 26 a small distance from the surface of the angle bars 18 and 19 as a result of which the angle bars engage the lower surfaces of the channels 26 only at their front ends. To reduce the friction of this engagement to a minimum, depressions or pockets 18 and 19 are formed in the upper surfaces of the front ends of the angle bars 18 and 19, which pockets are filled preferably with graphite paste or similar lubricant which comes into engagement with the under surface of the channels 26 as they pass over the depressions or pockets.

A modified construction may be employed for holding the units together instead of the slots 22 and the tongues 25, shown and described above in connection with Figs. 3, 4 and 5, which modified construction is shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15 and is as follows: Each of the inturned edges 17 of the sheet metal wall of the unit casing is provided near the rear end of the unit with aslot 22 extending through it which is somewhat enlarged at its right hand or rear end. The top wall of the casing has stamped from it outwardly in alinement with the slot 22 a projecting head 25 which has a groove 25 formed through its inner projecting edge longitudinally of the unit. The slots 22 and the projections 25 for each unit are disposed relatively to each other longitudinally of the casing, so that the projections are directly over the narrower portions of the slots and the enlarged rear ends of the slots are of sufficient size to pass over the projections, as a resul of which, when it is desired to secure one unit in place upon another, the upper unit is first placed so that the projections 25 pass through the enlarged rear ends of the slots 22 and the upper unit is then moved rearwardly of the lower unit until the projections 24 and holes 25, which may also be employed in this construction, come into engagement wit-h each other, as

shown in Fig. 5, at which time the heads of.

the projections 25 outside of the grooves 25 rest above the inner edges of the slots 22 at their narrower portions, thus preventing lateral and vertical displacement of the units relatively to each other.

In the modified construction of anti-friction roller housing shown in Figs. 16 and 17 the housing 36 is formed similarly to the housing 30 shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, with the exception that it projects through the bottom of the edge channel 37 of the drawer and has its ends 36 bent outwardly substantially at right angles with the sides of the housing, to engage the lower edges of the inner wall of the channel 37 and side wall 38 of the drawer, thus preventing the housing moving upwardly in the channel 37. The outer bent end 36 of the housing also rests under the lower edge of the flap bentfrom the end of the drawer to extend along the side of the drawer, thus aifording a double thickness of metal to be engaged by said bent end. It will thus be seen that, whether the construction shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, or that shown in Figs. 16 and 17 is employed, the weight of the drawer 1s communicated to the inner end of the roller bearing by the inner wall of the channel and to the outer end of the bearing by the side wall of the casing.

The channel 37 has formed through its bottom wall an opening 37 as shown in Fig. 17 just large enough to. permit the housing 36 to be inserted in the channel through said opening from the outside of the bottom of the drawer which greatly facilitates the assembling of the drawers. The rear edge of the opening is provided with an upturned flange 40 to reinforce the bottom of the channel, and a similar flange 41 may he formed at the front edge of said opening 37 the flanges together serving to assist in preventing displacement of the housing in the channel. The flanges 40 and 41 may be formed by folding u wardly part or all of the metal cut from t e bottom of the channel in making the opening 37.

The roller 42 is somewhat smaller than the roller 32 so that the end of its bearing rod 43 may rest inside of the side wall of the channel 37 which together with the side wall 38 of the drawer prevents longitudinal motion of the bearing rod 43 in the housing. It will thus be observed that for both constructions of housing the bearing rods of the rollers are held in place by the side wall of the drawer and the bottom of the drawer either directly or by means of the channel wall secured to said bottom.

While retaining lugs for the housing formed from the side wall of the drawer are not shown in Figs. 16 and 17, it will be understood that they may be employed in connection with the construction shown therein in the same manner as shown in the constructionof Figs. 10, 11 and 12.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiments above described, I do not, however, limit myself to these exact constructions as, for example, equivalent projections and cooperating apertures may be formed in the top and bottom walls of the casings for securing them in lateral alinement and other details of the construction may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A drawer for a transfer cabinet comprising sheet metal sides, bottom and ends, the bottom having channels formed therein longitudinally thereof along its edges, and rollers mounted in said channels at the rear end thereof and projecting below the bottom of said channels, each roller having a supporting housing in one of said channels suporting said drawer by engagement with the side wall of the drawer and the inner wall of said channel.

2. A drawer for a transfer cabinet com-- prising sheet metal sides, bottom and ends, the bottom having channelsformed therein longitudinally thereof along its edges, rollers mounted in said channels at the rear end thereof and projecting below the bottom of said channels, and bearings for the rollers supported by the side walls of the drawer and the inner walls of the channels.

3. A drawer for a transfer cabinet com-' prising sheet metal sides, bottom and ends, the bottom having channels formed therein longitudinally thereof along its edges, and rollers mounted in said channels at the rear end thereof and projecting below the bottom of said channels, each roller having a supporting housing in one of said channels supporting said drawer by engagement with the side wall .of the drawer and the inner wall of said channel, said housing having inwardly extending projections around. the bearing of said roller to reduce the side friction of said roller upon said housing.

4. A drawer for a transfer cabinet comprising sheet metal sides, bottom and ends, the bottom having channels formed therein longitudinally thereof along its edges, and

rollers mounted in said channels at the rear end thereof and projecting below the bottom of said channels, each roller having a suporting housing in one of said channels, said housing having bent ends extending below the side walls of said channel to support the weight of the drawer.

5. A drawer for a transfer cabinet comprising sheet metal sides, bottom and ends, the bottom having channels formed therein longitudinally thereof along its edges,

and rollers mounted in said channels at the rear end thereof and projecting below the bottom of said channels, each roller having a supporting housing in one of said channels, said housing having bent ends extending below the side walls of said channel to support the weight of the drawer and said channel having an opening through its bottom permitting the insertion of said housing into said channel throu h said opening.

6. A drawer for a trans er cabinet combearing rod extending through said housing and roller and held in place by the side walls of said channel.

7. A drawer fora transfer cabinet comprising sheet metal sides, bottom and ends, the bottom having channels formed therein longitudinally thereof along its edges, rollers mounted in said channels at the rear end thereof and projecting below the bottom of said channels, each roller having a supporting housing in one of said channels, said housing having bent ends extending below the side walls of said channel to support the weight of the drawer andsaid channel having an opening through its bottom permitting the insertion of said housing into said channel through said opening, and reinforcing flanges formed on the edges of said openings.

8. A drawer for a transfer cabinet comprising sheet metal sides, bottom and ends, the bottom having channels formed therein longitudinally thereof along its edges, rollers mounted in said channels at the rear end thereof and projecting below the bottom of said channels, each roller having a support- 7 ing housing in one of said channels, said housing having bent ends extending below the side walls of said channel to support the weight of the drawer and said channel 'having an opening through its bottom permitting the insertion of said housing into said channel through said opening, and reinforcing flanges extending upwardly from the front and rear edges of said openings ensaid housings.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of November, 'A. D. 1916.

CHARLES B. ULRICH. 

